Dealing With It
by Athildur
Summary: A Darco fanfic. Marco and Dylan have been dating for a while now, but trouble arises and Marco needs to deal with them. How will he, and will it affect his relationship with Dylan drastically?
1. Chapter 1

Ok, here I go...But before I begin:

I'm dutch, and my mother tongue is not english, nor have I ever spent any time in a foreign country where my knowledge of english was required...well, save for those three days I spent in England...anyway, if you happen to read this and see some major errors in spelling and/or grammar, don't turn away to read something else. I'm pretty confident about my english, but I am by no means an expert. And, if you would like to/have the time, you might point out a few to me, so I don't make any more of them. Thanks .

The chapters might not be too big. That's simply because I'm having a hard time deciding what to put in chapters, and for me, less is more. Don't fret, however, because if the chapters are smaller, the updates follow each other in more rapid succession .

Okay, this is my first attempt to write anything like a novel, and my first attempt to write anything in english. Criticism is good, but if u could keep it constructive, that would be very much appreciated.

Right, the beginning of this story is set the morning after Marco tells his mother that he is gay. (Season 4, Episode 3, King of Pain). Everything that has happened before is like in the show, but after...you'll just have to wait and see.

And last but not least, I certainly hope u like it. Please review after reading. I don't care whether you review positive or negative (though I'm hoping for positive, of course), as long as you can tell me why. Nothing like a good review to right my wrongs. Enjoy!

Right, one more thing: talking is always between quotation marks (""), and thoughts are in italics(_Italics_). Just so u don't get confused.

Chapter 1

Slowly but surely, the teenage boy awoke from a deep slumber. The first rays of sunlight reflected beautifully in his brown eyes, but he quickly rose his hand to shield them from the orange radiance.

His other hand went to his face, instinctively trying to wipe something off. Something that wasn't there anymore, but whatever had been there had been replaced by parts of his skin that now felt raw and rough. It made him confused, curious, and certain he'd forgotten something. Still shielding his hands, he rose to his feet and stumbled over to his mirror.

_I look like I've been crying my eyes out_, he thought. Moreover, he was still wearing the outfit he'd worn to school yesterday. Then it occurred to him that he really had been crying, for almost the entire night. He must've fallen asleep at a certain point, which explained why his curtains weren't drawn.

His mind was still a bit foggy as he tried to remember what he had been so emotional about. A tear welled up in his left eye. Now he remembered. He'd done what had been asked of him. Well, half of it, anyway. Even though that was true, he wished he hadn't done it, but what else could he have done? The love of his life had told him that it couldn't go on like this, and Marco would not be the one to end this relationship. Well, not at this point, when everything was going so well.

Marco wiped his eyes and the rest of his face, and tried to style his hair into something that could at least remotely pass for decent. He didn't succeed.

Still a bit upset about last night's events, he put on some new clothes as the ones he was wearing smelled like someone had been sleeping in them. For a week. In a blur of motion, he put on his jacket, put the neccesary items into his backpack and took that with him.

He rushed down the stairs, ran through the kitchen, grabbing something off the kitchen table, and went out the front door about as fast as he could. He was hoping his parents, at least his mother, were still in bed. Minor relaxation washed over him when he realised they were both still sleeping, but in the back of his mind he knew that he would have to confront her sooner or later. _Later would be good_, he thought, but that wasn't going to happen. Tonight he would have to talk about it whether he really wanted to or not.

The morning breeze and the empty streets calmed him down. He loved this part of day, especially because he could get some work done when everything was so quiet and peaceful. He decided to sit down somewhere near school and he took out the sandwich he'd snatched off the kitchen table just now. Staring at it, he knew he was hungry, but he just couldn't get himself to eat anything. Thoughts about what had happened with Dylan, and then with his mother, kept occupying his thoughts.

So much had happened in so little time. He just, he couldn't handle it all. Not now, not this soon. Besides, he had this whole school president election thing to worry about, not to mention the piles of homework he still had to do. Normally, he would've finished it ages ago, but his relationship with Dylan had taken up some more time than he'd anticipated, and the school president elections required some good attention as well. He'd hoped to get a lot of things done last night, but that plan had gone down the drain in an instant.

'As always, perfect timing,' he said to himself, releasing a monumental sigh. _At this point, I might as well wait for everything else to wrong as well. No, I shouldn't be thinking like that. Everything will be just fine. Well, almost everything, I hope..._

Meanwhile, the rest of town hadn't been standing still and people were getting out. Cars started to fill the streets and children were starting to go to school. Marco, however, was too occupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice anything of that. He just kept staring at the sandwich in his hand, which was still untouched.

A tap on the shoulder brought him rushing back to reality. 'Marco!' He jumped up and turned his head around quickly, revealing a face that was on the brink of being terrified. 'Marco, calm down. I'm not here to beat you up. Well, I wasn't planning to, in any case.' Staring back at him was the face of one of his best friends Ellie. His facial muscles relaxed and he sighed.

'Would you mind not scaring the living daylights out of me next time?' Ellie looked puzzled. Undoubtedly, she she was dying to find out wat was wrong with him. 'That depends. What are you doing here? You usually take an other route to school, and you never sit down until you're in class. What happened? Is it something about Dylan? Or is it that hag from hell, Alex?'

_Great, just what I needed, the Spanish Inquisition. _'Ellie, please. It's nothing, I'm just a bit swamped right now. I have tons of homework, I'm running for president and I have a really bad rel...wait a minute. Why would Alex be bothering me?' That didn't make sense. He didn't even really know her, and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual.

'You haven't heard?' Ellie seemed pleasantly surprised, being able to tell him something he didn't already know for a change. 'Heard what? Ellie, what is it?' Her smile spread to a facebroad grin. 'Alex is also running for president.' Surprised by Ellies newsflash, he couldn't help blurting out 'What? That hag with the manners of a cavewoman? What is she thinking?' Ellies smile faded. 'Okay, now I'm seriously suspecting something is wrong with you. You always know what's going on, especially things concerning matters you are involved in, like this election.'

_Great. What am I going to say to her? I have to think of something, quick!_ 'El, listen...we have to get to school. I wouldn't want to be late now that I'm running for prez. You know what, I'll tell you at lunch, okay?'

Before she could even reply he was already bolting past the school fence. Reluctantly, Ellie followed. She wanted to know, she really did. Looking down, she noticed a sandwich lying on the ground. That was the last thing she needed to be sure of it. Something was definately wrong with Marco. It just wasn't like him to skip breakfast, let alone skip it outside.

Besides, it was more than obvious to her that Marco was trying hard to avoid the matter. It must be something important, and getting it out in the open was the best solution. She had learned that the hard way. Today, she would find out what it was, whether Marco wanted to tell her or not...


	2. Chapter 2

Well, a new chapter for all you fans out there. This one's quite a lot bigger than I expected, a whopping 3.947.

I just hope you don't think it too stretched out, or too boring.

If you think it's a bit distant, you could be right. I've never really been good at inserting emotions into a story, and I have the feeling I'm watching my english a little too much at the moment.

I really want to thank the reveiwers do far. Kate, Luvluvand of course crashetburn, love ya! You made me write this new chapter .

Crashetburn: I didn't really understand that review. Would u mind elaborating it a bit, because I honestly didn't understand.

Chapter 2

So far, the day had not gone well. At all. Marco was so preoccupied with everything that school just didn't seem to fir in right now. A rare thing for Marco, very rare. During the first few periods, his thoughts were everywhere but in the classroom. Ellie and Paige covered for him as much as they could, but at a certain point he just couldn't help blurting out 'I just can't!' The teacher was unpleasantly surprised and replied with something that was nothing more than a low humming sound to Marco. In fact, he was so lost in his thoughts, that if Mr Simpson hadn't nudged him, he would probably still be sitting in that classroom.

Oddly enough, neither Ellie nor Paige had come up to him for a talk yet, and it was nearly time for lunch. That would mean that either they had decided not to try, or they were planning a full scale offensive. Probably...no, definately the latter one. Just one more thing to worry about.

_This is rediculous. I am Marco del Rossi, one of the hardest working students in this entire school. I've handled problems before. I've come out to my ex-girlfriend, who was my girlfriend at that time. I came out to one of my best friends, and that led to an entirely different problem. The point is, I've gotten over it all. And I will get over this, I'm sure of it._

But first, he would have to deal with Ms and Mrs Spanish Inquisition, Ellie Nash and Paige Michalchuck. What could he tell them? He most certainly couldn't tell them he'd come out to his mom last night, that was something he would have to wait with, at least for now. If he was to tell anyone, Dylan would be the first.

Ellie was most definately his best friend, and Paige had been really supportive, but this was something between Dylan and himself. This time, the girls would come in second, not first. So now, he had to make something up. _Maybe...yeah, that might just work._

So now he had a solution. That was all nice and stuff, but he just couldn't get the last conversation he had with Dylan out of his mind. It was as if it had just happened over and over, and he still felt the same way he had just after that talk.

He'd been having regular flashbacks to that moment, and to last night, when he'd come out to his mother, all day. Even now, while he was desperately trying to avoid Ellie and Paige, he could see it all happen before his eyes again, from the start.

He was at the pharmacy where his mother worked, to take some pictures for his electorial posters at school. His first three pictures were horrible, he knew already, but the fourth one, that was a total surprise. Just before the flash, the curtains moved and a head full of golden curls jolted in, kissing him ever so gently on the cheek, barely in time for the picture to be taken.

The only thing to do was to make sure the picture would not fall into the wrong hands. So, as inconspicuous as he could, he ripped off the fourth picture before handing the other shots over to his mother. Dylan hadn't been too excited about that move. After that, he kissed his mom, and what followed was a conversation that would be scorched into his mind for eternity.

'All right, I'll see you at home, ma,' he said, kissing her affectionately on the cheek, 'Bye.' He turned around only to find Dylan had just half walked, half ran out on him. He sprinted off after him. 'Dylan.' No response. 'Dylan! Wait up.' Still no response. 'Dylan, where are you going?' The golden-curled god turned around, the look on his face unmistakable. He was disappointed, and hurt. It wasn't really all that visible, but Marco had learned to recognise the few emotions Dylan showed on his face in the past half year. 'Back to my dorm.'

'Okay, then take this here with you, to make your dormmates jealous.' Marco held up the picture he'd just torn off the strip. Dylan looked at it, but didn't show any related emotions or thoughts. 'They're straight.' 'Okay, so make them uncomfortable.' Dylan sighed. 'Actually, they don't have a problem with me being gay.' Marco's eyes shifted quickly, reflecting the massive string of thoughts racing through his mind at the moment.

'I'm your boyfriend Marco.' Dylan's tone was sharp, almost angry._Yeah, well, I know that. What's your point, Dylan. What do you want me to say?_ 'I know.' Dylan sighed again, this time deeper than he had before, as if preparing to deliver a final blow. 'Yeah, well. You're the only one in your family that does.' And just like that, he angrily thrusted his hand out, the picture in it, and left it to Marco. 'Babe, I...' Marco was cut off by the cold, low voice 'Call you later.' And Dylan just walked off, back to his dorm. To Marco, it might as well have been a sledgehammer pounding on his head. _Yeah, well, what am I supposed to do? You know how difficult this is, Dylan, you've been there before. This is just..how can you just say it like that?_.

Too overcome by emotions and thoughts, Marco found himself a quiet place to sit and sorted out his thoughts there and then, trying to figure out what to say to Dylan on the phone...or worse, what to expect from Dylan.

It had been too much for him. The angst, the disbelief and the doubt were flooding his brain entirely, and it felt like he would never recover from this mental blow in the gut. It was a gaping wound in his abdomen, one that only his true love could heal, even if it was just a smile, or a gaze into those deep, blue eyes.

As if he were being attacked, he suddenly turned around and slapped the person that ambushed him hard in the face. No two seconds later, before he even realized what he had done, he was slapped in the face as well. It felt like a moving train had just slammed into his face, making it burn like it was the desert sand of the sahara. 'Marco! What the hell is wrong with you?'

Shaking his head, he blinked a couple of times, trying to get out of his emotional stupor. Slowly he began to realize what he had just done. 'Paige, I am so sorry. I..I..I was just...ouch, jezus, where did you learn to hit people like that?' His cheek was burning crimson red, and it felt like he could bake an egg on it. It was so soar, he couldn't even touch it with his hand to ease the pain a bit.

'Honey, I have an older brother. What kind of authority would I have if it wasn't for this...and blackmail, of course.' She grinned in her typical Paige-like way and turned to Ellie, who was standing beside her. 'Ellie, you were definately right. Our little stud boy here is having issues. Now, what could we do to make him talk. Inspire me, would you, dear?' Ellie, in her turn, was shocked to see what Marco had just done, but it soon turned into a rather suspicious smirk on her face at Paige's request for inspiration.

_Not good. Not good. Need to find an escape route, fast._ Ellie stepped closer to Paige, slowly moving her head closer to Paige's. _Wait a minute. Are they going to? No, they wouldn't, would they?_ Stopping an inch short of Paige's ear, her lips began to move. Paige seemed delighted, and Ellie's smirk turned into a facewide grin. _Most definately not good. I have to turn back, and quickly, too!_

As if chased by death itself, Marco whirled around and was preparing to make a run for it. He got as far as one foot before he crashed into Spinner. 'Whoa, slow down, sunshine. I don't think they're quite through with you yet.' 'Spinner, you have to...' Spin grasped him firmly and turned him around, whispering something into his ear. 'Sorry, stud boy, but Paige can be very persuasive. You'll have to sit this one out. If I were you, I'd get it over with as quickly as you can...who knows what might happen if you don't. '

Those words weren't exaclty what Marco was hoping for. More the opposite, in fact. Paige was quite famous for her...persuasive methods. He could have just given up that instant, but something told him this wasn't right. He would do anything to get out of here and just tell Dylan what had happened that night. Unfortunately, everything just wasn't enough for Paige. She wanted something he wasn't planning on giving her.

'Marco, hon, you're stuck. Here. With us. There's two ways we can do this. Either you tell us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or...we make you. I'd go with the second option, it's so much more fun, wouldn't you say, El?' Ellie nodded and smiled as if she were already having the time of her life, except this smile was slightly evil.

Without even a split second of thought, Marco had already visualised about ten possible ways of torture that Paige was likely to use. _How am I gettin out of this one? God, don't they know I'd rather keep this to myself. It's called a private life for a reason, you know. Why, why is there no justice whatsoever in this world? Why?_ 'Alright, fine, I give up. But I'm only telling Paige and Ellie. Spinner, scram, this is none of your concern. Paige will tell you in a few minutes anyway.' Spin looked at him, then shrugged. 'Hey, man, it's not like I want to hear it anyway. I was just framed into doing this by my...lovely girlfriend. Uh...bye, honeybee.'

Just like that he ran off, and Marco was quite sure he knew why. The look in Paige's eye was only a few inches short of a death stare, and that stare could make even the most sane people jump off a bridge. 'Glad we persuaded you. It would have been fun to give you a particularly nast round of tickling, but I suppose this works as well. Right, now from the top. After we left school, what did you do?'

Marco sighed heavily, reflecting the graveness of the situation he had allowed himself to get into. He told them of the pharmacy, the pictures, his conversation with Dylan. As if he were having that flashback again, everything just rushed through his body and mind, making it very hard to talk normally. Tears welled up, his voice began to tremble and after a few more seconds he was crying over the table, asking them what to do.

It just wasn't fair. Dylan and he had spent so much time together, he deserved more than this. All the good times they had shared, all the love they had given each other. Did it all mean nothing to him? Was it all just a big joke? It sure hadn't felt that way. The moments they shared, the kissing, the intense love. It couldn't be fake, it just couldn't. But he still wasn't convinced of that.

'Oh, Marco, he really screwed you up. How could he, that insensitive bag of dirt. We won't let him do this to you, honey. You're the best thing that's happened to him since a long time, we've all seen it, and I am not letting him ruin both your lives with some stupid move. El, hand me a cell phone, would you, my battery's dead from talking with Dylan and...' Marco's eyes flashed at her mentioning that name. He bolted up and stammered out 'WHAT? You talked to Dylan yesterday, and today? For that long? Oh man, this is bad.' This was just...one more thing. Why didn't he call him last night, like he was supposed to.

Paige was shocked by his response, and she looked like she felt guilty, matching expressions with her neighbour, Ellie, who was holding up a cell phone in front of Paige's face. Ellie was distraught. She had no idea Marco was feeling this bad, and listening to him, seeing him like this was causing her great pain. She couldn't help but feel guilty for letting him talk like this. Even worse, she couldn't do a thing to help Marco. She didn't really know Dylan, and well...that was just about it. Moral support wasn;t going to be much help. Marco needed Dylan, and fast too.

Still a bit shocked, Paige grabbed the cell phone, but didn't do anything with it yet. She just looked at Marco, analyzing him and the situation. 'Yeah, he just couldn't stop talking to me. It was all more of a blur of words, I couldn't really understand half of it. There was something about pictures, mom, running off, it was all really confusing. But honey, what I don't understand is why you haven't told your parents yet. I mean, Dylan's a real treasure, just like you are. Surely it's about time they get to know it.'

'I haven't even finished my story yet. There's more to come.' He breathed deeply a couple of times, calming down the emotional tide that had just overcome him. 'Last night, I got home after sitting at the mall for over three hours. It was already past dinner time, and my mother and father were sitting in the kitchen. When I got in, my mother almost exploded with concern. She was all 'Where have you been? Are you alright? Do you need any food?'.To be honest it freaked me out, but it was only at that time that I realised I had been gone for such a long time. My father told me he liked the picture he got, and that everything should be arranged by today. Everything was still so fresh in my memory that I just didn't hear half of it, so I nodded and slowly walked up to my room.'

'Oh, Marco, I'm so sorry. I wish I hadn't...I had no idea. If I had known, I would've...' Ellie stammered and stuttered, trying to show that she hadn't intended for this to happen, but what's out is out, and there was no changing that. Besides, one person with an utterly depressing mood was more than enough at this table. 'Ellie, just drop it. I know you didn't mean to, but let me finish my story, ok?' She nodded in silent agreement.

'So I went up to my room and I just sat up on my bed. I didn't think about homework, cleaning up or anything else, except Dylan. What had happened was just too much for me to take in all at once. He knows perfectly well what my parents are like. Anyway, I just cried. I cried and cried and suddenly, my mom appears in the doorway. I had no idea how long she had already been there, but she looked concerned. Well, okay, that's a logical response, but I was more thinking of the reason she looked that way. Was it because I was crying, or because she had figured it all out? I didn't know, so I just freaked. And suddenly she asked me 'what's wrong, Marco? You look upset.' I couldn't say anything except that is was just relationship problems. Everyone breaks up, you know? That suddenly lit up something in her face. She sounded all excited when she said she never knew I had a girlfriend. And then, all of a sudden, I mean, I didn't even mean to...'

He became more and more sad, wanting to cry, and the tremor in the boy's voice increased rapidly. The girls just sat there, thoughtfully listening to his story, trying to imagine what he must have felt like. While Ellie just sat there with her hands, captivated by her best friend's perilous story, Paige was as excited as she could get. After about ten seconds, the tension became too much for her. She just had to know. Well, she already knew, but she depserately needed to hear it. 'Well, come on, don't leave me hanging here, Del Rossi. Tell us, what happened!'

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply and rythmically, attempting to overcome the enormous amounts of stress, anxiety and angst that had washed over him just now. Not at all rushed by the blonde authorities in front of him. After another, nervewracking sigh, he softly, but steadily spoke.

'I told her I never said I did. She got tears in her eyes and said that she always thought it was Dylan. I denied that I was gay. What was I supposed to do. I hadn't even said it and she was already crying. She just stood there, watching me, crying, sobbing. And then it just came out. I just said it. Thinking of Dylan, thinking of the pressure on me, the lying against my mother, I just couldn't hold it in anymore. And I just told her. Yes, I am. I am gay. Then she really started crying, and she left the room in the worst mood I had ever seen her in. I really, really wish I hadn't told her at that moment, and so I cried all night long, up until the moment I fell asleep, only to be woken up by the glaring sun in the early morning. I rushed off as quickly as I could, hoping to avoid my parents. I mean, what if my mother told him? What if he didn't like it at all. I've seen what he can do, and it's not pretty. So I just left and ran for it. And that's when Ellie sort of found me, sitting on the ground.'

With a great sigh, he felt a heavy load of thoughts, emotions and general stress slide off his back like it was nothing. He felt better, much better, but not good enough, not nearly. Both Ellie and Paige screamed simultaneously, turning into a hell siren of sorts. Marco shut his ears with his hands as quickly as he could, avoiding the possibility of going deaf at such an early age. Ellie was excited and terribly relieved, but she didn't say anything. She was enjoying this moment in silence, because she saw Marco relax, and because he finally did it. He did it, she still couldn't believe it, but he did it!

Paige, on the other hand, was all over Marco, hugging him and complimenting him like there was no tomorrow. 'Marco, I am so glad for you. I can't believe you finally did this. I love you, I just love you! God, I'm all psyched up about it. Wait, I've got to tell Dylan. Where did I leave my cell phone?' Within a split second, Marco lunged out and whisked the cell phone off the table. 'Sorry, Paige, but I just can't let you do that. This was something I wanted to tell Dylan first, and so I would like you to keep it to yourself until tomorrow, because tonight, I am calling him, and if he doesn't answer, then I'll just drop by at his dorm. I...I just hope that this will solve the entire issue with him. It's been just a day, but the feeling of losing him, and not being with him for such a long time is just killing me, not to mention the thought of not being around him ever again.'

The mood around darkened once more, but Paige quickly took care of that. She had decided: This was a happy moment, and if Paige Michalchuk says it's a happy moment, it's a happy moment. 'Wow, I guess it's okay. I think it's really sweet. But I am still going to kick the insensitive bag's ass about this. Would you at least let me do that, honey?' She turned all puppy dog eyes on Marco, and who was he to resist such a cute sight, although seconds ago he could've mistaken her with a bulldog rather than a puppy. 'Well, I guess. Just don't go too hard on him, would you? He is still my boyfriend, not to mention your brother.'

Marco couldn't resist smiling. Unbelievable, he actually smiled. He felt happy again, the first time in over twenty-four hours. It felt good, liberating, like the dark clouds covering his mind had retreated to a distant corner. As soon as she saw it, Ellie started smiling too, a rare sight indeed. Marco wondered if she felt like he had felt all the time, because she never smiled. He could only hope she didn't, because to be honest, he would kill himself. Paige smiled as well, but that was most likely because she got to kick her brother's but...again. 'Honey, don't worry about your mother. Remember how you felt when you first told Spin you were gay. She probably feels something similar. It's not necessarily a bad thing, you know. She just has a lot to deal with. But why don't you take this opportunity and tell your father as well. At least it'll come from you, and not someone else.' Marco's smile faded instantly the moment she mentioned his father. She obviously had no idea of what she was talking about.

'What, are you insane. Have you even met him? He's like, the worst homophobe ever. Last year, on my first date with Dylan, we ran into him, remember. He was killing the waiter with a look and a word, just because he thought the man was gay. Imagine what he would do if he found out. It's just too horrible to even imagine. I might as well jump off a cliff.' Panic gripped at him. Why could nobody understand this predicament?

'Look, all I'm saying is, that if you don't tell him, someone else might. And that is worse than anything. At least when you tell him, you will be prepared for it, and he won't, so you will have the upper hand. I;m not saying you should do it this instant, but just think about it, and don't wait too long, okay, hon?' Too tired of all the stress to argue, he just nodded. There was some sense in what she was saying. Having the upper hand. He could only hope that would be enough to actually win that round. But he doubted it, sincerely. At least his mother knew, and everyone at school already knew. And dylan would probably talk to him again, and be with him. A welcome thought, which filled him with warm, fuzzy feelings, making him all mushy inside.

'Well, thanks a lot for the support Paige. You too, El. I've got to get home now. Just remember, don't tell Dylan, and please don;t stay on the phone with him all night, would you?' With a big smile on his face, he turned around, Paige and Ellie wavin him goodbye. 'Marco, honey, you know me, don't you?' Paige cried out in the most innocent tone she could muster. 'Yes. That's exactly why I'm warning you.' He yelled back with a grin.

He was happy, truly happy. Full of excitement and anticipation, he headed home to face his parents. He could only hope his mother hadn't talked about it yet, and that she would accept it. If only he were more sure...


	3. At Peace

Alright, first of all, thanx to all of you that have taken the time to read and review, or even just read my previous chapters. You're all great!

Your reviews are all helpful, it's nice to know ppl like it, and that there are certain things that could be better. I know that when I write stories, they are a bit full of detail, making them sorta slow. I'll try to pick up the pace a little bit.

luvluv: I originally had the entire scene from the photo booth till when Dylan walks away, but it seemed a bit too much, so I cut it down a little. Glad u liked it.

And btw: When I started this fanfic, I had no idea where I would let it lead to, but I had a flash of inspiration (gotta love a nice breeze and the warm sun ) and now I have some interesting action to include. The pace will pick up soon, but this chapter won't be so pacy yet.

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Chapter 3 – Truce with the truth

Slowly, his trembling hand embraced the cold, steel doorknob. _Funny thing how something as trivial as this is making me so incredibly nervous._ He would have liked to run away and think about it some more, but he knew it would only delay the inevitable. This way, it would be over quickly. Besides, it decreased the chances of his mother telling his father, if she hadn't already.

Not nearly as ready for the trials that lay beyond the door as he would have liked, he opened the door. As it did, he could see his mother standing over by the stove, preparing today's dinner. His father sat at the kitchen table, reading the paper as usual. For a few moments, Marco didn't move. He was just waiting for a response. None came.

Incredibly relieved, he smiled and walked in, practically slamming the door shut as he did. Noth his parents looked up, a minor shock visible on their faces. 'Marco, my boy, what's wrong?' His father was the first to respond, gazing just over the financial pages of the newspaper. 'I...It's nothing pa, I'm just really happy right now.' His face was beaming with joy. 'Why, what happened at school? Did you already win the election? I thought voting was going to be this Friday.' He was smiling now, too, seeing as his eyes were slightly squinted. 'Oh, and speaking of the election, your mother brought me the perfect picture. Look at this.'

He laid down his paper and grabbed one of the posters that lay next to the sink. With an unmistakable look of pride on his face, he held up the dark red poster, which had a huge black and white picture of Marco centered upon it, and the line 'Vote Marco del Rossi for President!' Marco smiled. Although the picture was horrible, he was very glad with this poster, mostly because it had been made by his father. 'It's great, papa, thanks. And no, the voting is still on for Friday, so that means about three and a half days to promote muself. My competition will be blown away, because they, unlike me, have no plans whatsoever.'

Marco's mother turned around to face the two. 'Oh, I'm so proud of my little boy. Now please clear the table, I made my famous pasta sauce for my two favorite men.' She wore a big smile and turned over to the sink, where she did some last minute cleaning.

Over the course of dinner, nobody spoke. Maybe because they were all enjoying the meal, but Marco was silent for another reason, and he could see his mother had her own reasons, too. That more or less spoiled his appetite, and he couldn't muster taking more than a bite and a nibble. When his father asked him why he wasn't eating, his mother told him to be quiet. If Marco wasn't hungry, so be it.

Afer dinner, they did the dishes and after cleaning up a bit, his father anounced he was going bowling with some friends from work. _Strange. Papa never goes out on week nights. What's the occasion?_ No five minutes later, his mother asked him to sit down.

'Mama, I know how this must be for you. Trust me, I've been there. Just know that I;m still your son. Marco del Rossi, no more and no less than before.' He sighed. _So that's why he left._ Maybe it was for the best. 'Oh, Marco, I know. You will always be my son, my pride. I will love you no matter what, even if you are...' She was uncomfortable. Understandable, because she was from Italy, Rome nonetheless, the capitol of christianity. 'You can say gay, ma. It's not a bad thing. I just happen to love...well, guys.'

She almost started crying again, and Marco was nervewrecked. Seeing his mother cry made him feel sad, angry at himself, guilty for making his mother go through this. It was, after all, his fault. 'I know dear, I'm sorry if I made you feel bad, but this is just a bit much. I always suspected something, the way you were with Dylan, how you looked at him. I knew, but I was still shocked when you told me. You have to understand that I;m worried about you. What will everyone at school say? And what about your father? I'm scared for you, Marco, that's all.'

She put her hands in front of her face and sobbed. 'Mama, I have known for over a year now, and almost everyone at school knows about me and Dylan. I'm sorry I didn;t tell you first, but I figured I can always change schools if they hate me for it. I can't trade you, you're the only thing I can always count on. I guess I just used my friends as some sort of buffer. I'm glad I told you, I really, really am, but I;m terrified of what papa might say, or worse, do to me. You saw how he snapped at that weigther the time you found me and Dylan at the movies.'

Mrs Del Rossi was concerned, as she should be. 'I think it would be best if we keep this a secret for now. Maybe I can find a way to soften up your father for you, or at least try to find out how he would react to this. For now, just try to do your homework and win that election for me, okay?' Marco nodded, and they hugged for a while, right in the middle of the kitchen.

Marco rushed to his room, dying to call Dylan and tell him the big news. He called him on his cell, and after a few rings he got the voicemail on. _Maybe his dorm number. _He called that number, but all it did was ring without anyone picking up. _I'll call Paige. Maybe he's there. _This time, somebody did pick up. 'Paige here, how can I help?' 'Paige? It's Marco. Hey, do you know where Dylan is? Is he over at your place?' A few moments of silence built up the tension over the line. 'Uhm...no. Why do you ask?' 'Well, you know how I told my mom I'm gay and everything? We had this amazing talk just now, and I want to call Dyl to tell him everything. He's just, not answering his cell, or his regular phone. Do you have any idea where he might be?' After a few more nervewrecking moments of silence, he could hear Paige yelling. 'Spin, keys, car, now!' A ruffled noise and then Paige was on again. 'hon, I;m getting the car. Me and Spin will be at your door within a few minutes. We're going to pay him a visit. Don't worry, he's probably just sleeping or something. Be ready for us. Bye.'

Before he could respond, she had already hung up. He seriously disliked Paige's way of acting impulsively and wasting no time on anything resembling a plan, but this time he was grateful for it. He quickly put on a hat and a jacket and rushed downstairs. _This is definately worth losing another night's homework over. _Soon, he would see him and tell it all, and they would be fine. Soon...


	4. The Terrible Truth

First of all, thanks again for all the reviews so far, an dof course also for all those yet to come.You've all boosted my confidence enormously, and it has kept me writing.

I've granted Paige the use of a black convertible (or is it convertable?). It's hers, just so you know.

In this new chapter, you will read the name Caranto. This is, in my fanfic, a city with about the same size as Toronto, but its whereabouts is approximately 70 miles northeast of Toronto. (I have no idea where Toronto is, and I had no access to the internet while writing, so I just made this town up. You may, of course, replace it with some town near Toronto) Just so u don't get confused. I hope you enjoy it!

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Chapter 4 The Terrible Truth

No ten minutes later, a black convertible parked just outside the dorms where Dylan had been living for close to a month now. The screaming tires left a black trail of burning rubber on the street, but nobody seemed to care at the moment.

Spin leaned over to Paige. 'Uhm, honeybee, I don't think you're allowed to park here.' 'Screw it. We have more important things to do!', she furiously snapped back at him. Marco hads been uncomfortable the entire ride, and it didn't have all that much to do with Paige's driving skills. He was worried about what they would find at Dylan's dorm.

Perhaps they would find him sleeping, or passed out on the floor. Perhaps. His mind had already gone through most possibilities, most of which weren't desirable. Maybe Dyl was having an affair, maybe he was ill, maybe he was unconscious. No matter what, Marco blamed himself. If he hadn't kept it a secret for so long, none of this would have happened.

'Oh, brighten up, Marco. It's not your fault. Dylan is an adult and he knows perfectly well how to decide for himself.' Paige, as usual, avoided any unnecessary pleasantries and went straight for the goal. 'Yeah, I know...' _That's exactly what's bothering me. If he chose to do this, then it'll all be over. If he wanted to. I'd rather have it be all my fault. _

As he slowly moved towards the main entry doors, his heart started pounding in his chest, more and more rapidly as he came closer. Even walking up to his room was nervewrecking for Marco. If it hadn't been for Paige, pushing him along, he would've turned around and ran for it minutes ago. 'Come on, Del Rossi. We both know it's better for you if you find out now. Go!'

Reluctantly, he agreed and walked on. There was no stopping the hurricane known as Paige Michalchuk, every sane person knew that. As they came closer and closer to the dorm room, Marco felt his heart was now pounding in his throat as well. This was about as nervous as he would get, or so he thought. When they finally arrived at the door of Dylan's dorm, he stretched out his hand, which was trembling uncontrollably.

Full of fear, he slowly started turning the knob. It twisted on, and on, and on...and suddenly a click sounded. His heart was pounding even more heavily, now throughout his entire body. His fingers, his toes, every inch of his body was throbbing in an unnerving kind of harmony. Behind him, Spinner sighed. 'Come on, Marco, be a ma...' he was interrupted by a smack to the back of his head, delivered by Paige. 'Quiet, goon. This is very important to him.'

Paying no attention to the two, Marco slowly pushed open the door, which now seemed a hundred, maybe even a thousand times heavier than ever before. It opened widely, and to his surprise, there was nothing special. Nothing at all. It was just Dylan's dorm, messy as ever. The only thing was, that Dylan was nowhere to be found.

He sighed and felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off of his shoulders. His stress wasn't gone, but he was relieved. For a minute, he just stood there, being relieved and passive. 'Come on, honey, we'll go ask around so that Marco can inspect his dorm. I assume he knows it a whole lot better than we do.' _Actually, I really don't know it all that much better, another thing that has me worried._

Upon inspection, the room seemed to be perfectly normal for Dylan's doing. The floor was littered with clothes and a few books, his table for studying was completely empty and that was just about it. Everything pointed out that Dylan was just out, nothing more. Marco thrashed the room, not that Dylan would notice it as practically everything was already on the floor anyway, looking for Dylan's cell. He couldn't find it anywhere. 'Right, so he must be out.' _Or with someone else_, he silently added.

'Marco, we talked to some of the guys here. Dylan left with his car this morning. He hasn't returned since and nobody knows where he was heading.' Paige had just walked in and was already casting an evil, disapproving eye at the room. 'My god, my brother did this by himself? I knew he wasn't exactly tidy, but this is...hey, what's this?' She walked over to an enormous pile of clothing. She pulled out a red an yellow sweater saying 'Going in for the score', and lifted it into the air.

'Never seen this before. Good for him. Now he's in real trouble. I mean, look at this. Aren't gay guys supposed to have a better sense of style and fashion?' She turned to Marco. 'I...I don't know. Thay say we do, so I suppose it's true.' _But that sweater simply can't be his. Dyl would never buy something that...conspicuous. So he really does have..._ It was simply too depressing for him to think about that right now. Dylan had been his first and only true love, and it felt so powerful, so overwhelming, that he knew for certain he would never find anything as intense or as beautiful in his entire life.

An always vigilant Paige saw the glimpse of what seemed to be tears in the distraught boy's eyes. 'Marco, hon, don't worry. I'm sure Dylan's just out partying, or maybe he went and visited an old school friend. You never know. You knwo what, why don't you try calling his cell again. Use the phone over here, that'll save you some cash.'

She grinned and chuchkled like there was nothing wrong at all. But there was, and for Marco this meant the world to him. However, she did make some sense, so he nodded and dialed Dylan's celll number. It rang...but nobody answered. Even after what seemed like an eternity, but was in fact closer to thirty seconds, nobody answered the phone. He hang uop, ready to crumble and fall, when suddenly the phone rang.

He nearly jumped, and turned towards the machine. A small display showed Dylan's cell number. His heart skipped a beat and his soul was screaming with joy. 'Guys, it's Dylan! It's really him!' He couldn't believe it. All this trouble, and now he was only a simple action away from him. 'Well, pick up before he hangs, Marco. Quickly!' Paige was also bursting with happiness, knowing that Marco would be fine, and she would get to yell at Dylan for all this mess, not to mention that dreadful sweater.

'Dylan, it's me, Marco. I'm so glad you called. I've been looking all over for you. Paige is here, and Spin, too. Why didn't you return my calls?' A moment of silence followed the outburst of thoughts and concern. 'Hello, Dylan, are you there?' Marco held his breath. Was Dylan hiding something, or worse, someone? That would mean his suspicions were correct...

'I'm sorry, who is this?' An unfamiliar male voice sounded through the phone. _What? He is asking me who this is?What's this freak doing with Dyl's cell? _'I think that question would better fit into this conversation a lot better if I were to ask you it. Who are you, and what the hell are you doing with my boyfriend's phone?' Paige gasped. Had Dylan been attacked or mugged? Maybe he was lying in the gutter somewhere, dying. She held on to Spinner tightly, thinking this just couldn't be happening.

'Oh, I am terribly sorry. I am doctor McKenzie. I work at the Angelwing hospital in Caranto. And now may I ask you who you are?' Marco was silent for a moment. A doctor, in a hospital. This was even worse than what he had thought of. 'I...I'm Marco, Marco del Rossi. I'm Dylan's boyfriend. Why are you in possession of his phone?'

'I am terribly sorry, sir, but I cannot tell you that. That information is to be delivered to close relatives first. If you would be so kind as to help me get into contact with one or more of them, if any?' Marco dropped his head and shoulders. He knew what this would mean. He could only imagine the possibilities. He might be in a coma, disabled, dead even. 'Y...y...yes, of course. Hold on...'

He held up the phone. 'Paige, for you.' Paige was tense and her face had 'concern' written all over it. She took the horn and spoke. 'Hello, this is Paige Michalchuk.' She listened intently. 'Yes, I am Dylan's sister. Can you tell me what's going on?' A few moments later, she gasped for air and collapsed onto the floor, crying. Spinner immediately dived for her and picked up the horn. 'I'm sorry, but she can't talk right now. She'll call you back later,' he said, and he hung up.

Paige was crying uncontrollably, gasping for air every few seconds. It was a terrible sight. Spin was holding her tightly, trying to comfort her, but it wasn't really helping. After fifteen minutes and a couple of glasses of water, she cleared up a bit and turned to Marco.

She spoke slowly, in a voice marked by unimaginable fear.

'Marco, it's Dylan. There's been...an accident.'


	5. A Stressful Night

Right, thanx again for the reviews. I am very glad you all like this.

Right, my medical knowledge is nigh to nothing, so I'm just rambling about it...just assume it's all possible, ok? Thanx .

And I;m terribly sorry this took so long, but I have been very, very busy. I am glad to inform you, however, that I already know what is going to happen next, up until the very end of the story, so it shouldn't take too much time to complete (although holidays to tend to slow me down from everything I'm trying to do...)

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Chapter 5 A Stressful Night

As fast as their feet would carry them, the trio of distraught teenagers raced through the main doors of the hospital, desperately searching for Dylan. Paige lunged over to the first service counter she saw and spoke to a rather handsome male nurse. 'I'm looking for my brother, where is he?'

The man inspected her, seemed to process the emotion he saw on her face, and calmly responded. 'And what would be his name, miss?' 'His name is Dylan, Dylan Michalchuk. That's M-i-c-h-a-l-c-h-u-k. Where is he? How is he doing? I need to know!' The man typed something on his computer and made a distinct 'hmmm...' sound, before looking uo at the angsty Paige. 'I'm sorry, miss. We have nobody with that name currently in our hospital.' _Uh-oh, bad move, bad move._ Marco prepared for the outburst, moving back a few paces.

'What the hell do you mean, he's not here? God damn it, my brother just had a fucking car accident. He could be dying right now and his boyfriend is here, all worried, not to mention myself. Now where the hell is he. Tell me. NOW!'

Even though Marco had expected an outburst, he jumped and stepped further back. The man talking to her had not been as lucky, as he got the full load of it. He almost jumped back a foot. Paige was fursious, because she was incredibly concerned and terribly scared.

Deciding the poor male nurse had been traumatized enough, Marco stepped up and tapped Paige on the shoulder. 'Paige, hon, maybe you should...thrash something inexpensive...okay?' Her eyes locked onto him, filled with malcontempt and set to kill. After a few seconds of intense eye to eye communication, they relaxed slightly as Paige calmed down a bit.

'Fine. Just...just ge me to Dylan, fast.' 'I want to see him as badly as you do, maybe even more so. Trust me on this one, okay?' She nodded and buried herself in one of the chairs around the waiting room. Marco turned to the man and smiled. _Hmm, he is adorable._ 'You have no record of a Dylan Michalchuk?' The man shook his head. 'No sir. Perhaps if you could describe him and tell me around which time he may have been brought in, I could look him up for you.'

Marco sighed from relief. 'that would be great. Okay, let's see...Male, caucasian, around 20, 5'8'', about 160 pounds, blonde/brown curled hair, reaching to about chin height. He was brought in...well I dont really know. We think it's been today, recently maybe, but we just don't know. Look, could you just page doctor McKenzie for us? He will know where we need to be.' The man looked at him oddly, then nodeed slightly. ' Well, I suppose it's fine. I will page him. If you would please wait here, it could be a while. He was schedule for an operation around this time and it might take some time for him to finish.' Marco nodded and thanked the man, then walked across the room to sit opposite to Paige.

'I had him page the doctor we talked to. He should be here as soon as he can, but it could be a while. He's in surgery right now.' Paige took her hands off of her face and raised it to look at Marco. 'I don't care about the frickin' surgery. Just let me get to Dylan!' Marco sighed. _What in the world could I say to stop this from getting worse?_ 'Paige, look. I know you want to see Dylan. How do you think I feel about this? We haven't even been together all that long, and the thought of losing him...it...it's just...too much for me right now. I know you love your brother dearly, so do I, but that doesn't mean we can start janking people away from important business. I'm sure that if he were in danger of dying, the doctor would have waited for us to arrive.' _At least, I really, really hope so._

Paige didn't react, at least not noticably. She just kept sitting there, staring into what seemed endless space. Spinner was nowhere to be found. _Just like him, really, to go missing at a time like this. He honestly does not understand what women want...the poor sob._ For five minutes, both Paige and Marco just sat there, staring into nothingness, contemplating on what had happened, and what was going to happen. The muffled sound of people talking, phones ringing and people typing on keyboards faded away slowly, until Marco did not hear it anymore, and was completely absorbed into his own thoughts.

His gaze and attention were suddenly diverted to Spinner, who was walking in holding two cups of coffee and a Pepsi for himself. Paige eagerly snatched one cup from his outstretched arm and started sipping her coffee. Marco took his cup, but wasn't in the modd for coffee, or anything else, for that matter. Spin drank his Pepsi so fast, it might have been faster if he had just swallowed the can whole in the first place.

The three of them continued being silent, though Spin was not very good at sitting still and keeping shut. After another fifteen minutes of eternity, a man in a white coat stepped up to them. 'Might I assume you are Paige, and you are Marco?' He pointed at Paige and Marco subsequently, and they both looked up to the man and nodded. The man was probably in his early thirties, and had a spiky haircut, which looked rather rediculous on him. 'I am doctor McKenzie. I believe I talked to you both over the phone?' Both nodded again, only this time they simultaneously sprang up.

'Where's Dylan?' 'Can we see him?' 'How is he doing?' 'How is he doing?' 'Is it serious?' 'I...Is he going to die?' 'It'll be fine, won't it?' Both Marco and Paige rattled on, asking question after question without leaving any space in between them for the doctor to answer. After their spree of questions finished, the doctor calmly responded. 'We believe he will be fine, yes.' Both teenagers sighed from relief, sinking back into their seats while most of their built up tension flowed away. 'And his name was Dylan Michalchuk, you say?' 'Yes, it is. But couldn't you have checked his wallet for that? I'm sure there are enough cards and papers in there to tell you...' Paige was still slightly upset by the incident, and it could be seen clearly on her face. 'Well, no. When we arrived, he had been stripped of most of his possessions. He had nothing except his clothes, and someone managed to reclaim his cell phone, which is how we came into contact with each other.'

Marco stood up. 'Look, sorry, but can we see him now? Ou can tell us more later on, but I would really like to see im, and so would his sister.' He nodded in Paiges direction. The doctor looked at Marco suspiciously. 'Ah yes, you were the...' 'Boyfriend, yes, big deal. Please just take us to him.' The man scribbled something onto his notepad, then signalled the two, he had yet to recognise Spinner as part of the group, to follow him.

_I finally get to see him, and he'll be fine! I bet he'll even be better when I tell him. _Marco was getting excited. Though he was sad because it had to be under these circumstances, he would still get to see Dylan, so everything would be fine at last. Absorbed in his own thoughts, he could only catch a few loose words from the conversation the doctor and Paige were having.

'Blows to the abdomen...fractured ribs...bruised wrist...severe trauma to the head...' It was very depressing to hear, but at least he would know what to expect. Suddenly, they came to a halt. 'Room 3-15. This is it. He is alone and can receive visitors. Please remain calm or I will have you removed. I shall join you to finish up some minor details.' Paige nodded and reached for the door. 'Oh, and please do not forget we have not yet had any test results on his condition. Although he seems to be fine, there might be some damage to the brain, so he might not react the way you might expect. Please do not try and force him to think or do anything, just go along with it for now.' Both Paige and Marco nodded and went in.

The room was barren white. Very hospital, not very pleasant. Dylan lay on a white. His hair was ruffled and his skin didn't look too good, but he seemed to be happy. 'Doctor, is he...in a coma?' The doctor scribbled down a few more things as he moved aroung, checking the various pieces of equipment around Dylan. 'Well, we do not believe he is suffering from comatosis, no. His body is trying to accelerate natural healing by putting the body and mind to sleep. Our estimates show he should be awake in about three to four days from now. As I stated earlier, he might have some brain damage as a result of the head trauma, but our equipment cannot efficiently detect these things. To find out, I am afraid you will have to wait for him to wake up. By the way, does he have any parents I might be able to contact?'

Paige's eyes went wide. 'Mom and dad, fuck!' In all the commotion, she had totally forgotten to tell her mother and father of what had happened to Dylan. She rushed out, looking for the nearest phone. The doctor stared after her. 'I'll take that as a yes.' In her rampage, Paige nearly trampled Marco, who was barely able to dodge her.

He stood there, close to the door, doing nothing but stare at his irreplacable love. Even now, with the messed up hair and a scarred face and body, he looked like a divine being, a true adonis. The smile on his face only made him more gorgeous.

Over the course of the night, Marco stayed with Dylan, talking to him, caressing his hair gently. At a certain moment Paige and her parents joined him. The parents were shocked and started crying, something Marco understood very, very well. He did not speak to them, nor did he approach them. This was not the time for that, he knew. Suddenly, Dylan's father stood next to him. 'You, Paige and Spin should go home and get some sleep. Look at the time, it's already half past midnight, and I believe there's an election you need to attend to tomorrow? Go do your best Marco, and get some sleep.'

Marco nodded and said, very faintly 'I guess you're right. Screw the election, though.' Paige turned over her keys to Spinner, although it had taken him ten minutes to persuade her, and even still she did so reluctantly. During the drive home, Marco's mind was devoid of thought, and upon coming home, he just stood in the front yard, still and silent for several minutes, before his mother dragged him in.

'Cara mia, what happened to you? I was worried sick! Why are you home so late?' Marco turned his gaze downwards. 'Ma, it's Dylan. He had an accident. He...he's in some sort of coma. It's horrible, ma, just horrible!' He burst into tears and both of them hugged each other. 'Don't worry, my future president. Everything will be fine, just wait and see...'


	6. Sadness, Anarchy and Despair

Hiya folks. Sorry it took so damn long to get this to you, but since it's all holiday, I don't get around to much writing, and I have been totally lost in the land of inspiration. I mean, I already know how everything's gonna end and what else is going to happen, but if I post something, I want it to be as good as it's predecessors, if not better. So that's why. Again, I am sorry.

What I'm also sorry for the serious dark mood hanging over the story. Unfortunately, it's not going to change just yet. this chapter will be filled with sadness, but don't worry, in the end it'll all be okay (Because, let's be honest, every story should have a happy end, right? ;) ).

Also, I still want to thank everyone that has been so kind to read my story, end even mosre thanks go out to the people taking the time to give me these wonderful reviews. I do it all for you, and I greatly appreciate your replies. I thrive on them. The more I have, the faster and/or better I start to write. (In fact, it was the last review I got not too long ago that got me started on this again. Thanks a lot, WhyMe220! )

I hope you all will also enjoy this chapter, and review it for me once you have read it. I'm a bit anxious about it, since it was written with a long timespan in between (I wrote half of it before the vacation started, and the other half just now) and I'm afraid I might have rushed it a bit. As I said before: Enjoy!

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Chapter 6 Sadness, Anarchy and Despair

That night, Marco could not close his eyes. His mind was overflowing with thoughts and emotions, and he could not find the peace inside to lay himself to rest and sleep. His mother had comforted him for a while, but somewhere between two and three in the morning she had to get herself into bed, since she had to get up early the next day.

For the rest of the night, Marco lay on his bed, then paced around his room, lay on the bed, paced around, and so on. At one particular moment, he picked up the picture of him and Dylan that he had put in one of his drawers (_Couldn't have put it on top of my desk. What would dad do if he found out_). More tears filled his eyes and a feeling worse than he had ever feeled before washed over him. He began thinking of all the time he had spent staring at Dylan, fantasizing about what they could have, were Dylan to be interested...then his thoughts skipped to that eternally happy moment when Dylan actually asked him out. He, one of the school's best and coolest jocks, asked him, the insignificant, little so-manieth grade kid, out! Things had definately gone uphill from that moment on, as they went out more and more, and started to spend more and more time together, being insanely in love.

And then...that one moment, those seconds of utter grief and despair...the thought that he could lose all he had, and that he would never again have what he could have had with Dylan, what they could've grown into. The mere thought almost brought him down to his knees, praying to whatever god would listen, for Dylan to be okay. He didn't care if Dylan would have total range of movement again, he didn't care if Dylan would have some lasting injury...as long as he and his love could live on together, happy and madly in love, he didn't care about anything anymore.

But in the dark recesses of his mind, he had already told himself that they would never quite be the same. Such accidents often changed people's lives forever. Imagine if Dylan would remain in this coma, what if the doctors guessed it wrong? Marco wouldn't be able to bear it, being close to Dylan in body, but in mind as far away as they possibly could be. What use is a body when there's no mind? After all, it wasn't really his body that was so important to Marco, (_honestly, Marco...you can't ignore that incredibly hot body...if it weren't for that, you probably would've imagined yourself with some other jock..._) it was really the person behind it, especially now that he knew Dylan so much better. If Dylan would never be able to play hockey again, he would be devastated. He would be so unhappy...and that was very hard for Marco to see. He would have to find some solution to that.

Then again, everything might actually turn out just fine. _Yeah, the doctors are well educated people...I'm sure they can patch him up and then he'll be running and jumping around again, amongst other things..._. But no matter his thoughts, his feelings did not change. He was a wreck, emotionally, and he himself didn't look too good either. His hair was ruffled, dark circles and a hint of eye bags could be seen under his eyes, and his face had large patches of red, raw skin originating from the tears that kept rolling down his cheeks. If this were any day, Marco would rush off to the bathroom, being sure to grab his toiletries first, and make verything perfect for just another day of school. But today wasn't just any day. today was the day after he'd seen his boyfriend lying in a coma, recovering from a car crash. Today, he just stood there in front of the mirror, and for the first time in a few years, he couldn't really give a damn whether he looked perfect or like a mess.

Unfortunately, that did have it's effects. First, Marco's parents were all on top of him. His mother almost squashed him in a bearlike hug, saying things like 'it'll be fine,' 'don't you worry about it' and 'you should freshen up before you go to school.' He didn't care, not about anything and his mother's overprotective act couldn't do anything to change that. Even worse, his father started ranting about how he looked like some girl, some pansy who would certainly not make it in life, because men need to be strong. _Well tough luck, dad. I'm strong enough, but I actually care enough about someone to show it. Just...shut up and be done with it, would you_ 'Look, dad...this has nothing to do with real life. I'm trying to improve my acting...it should help me today, don't you think?' Marco said this quickly, because thinking too long might let his dad onto something. His father thought about this for a moment, then spoke to him in a loud voice. 'That's my boy! Not only strong, but smart as well! You truly are you fathers son!' Marco nodded and saw his mother roll her eyes in the corner of his own eyes.

The rest of the day certainly didn't go any better. First of all, he met Ellie when going to school. Although she was one of his best friends, Marco did not feel like talking to her...or to anyone else, for that matter. But, being as she was, Ellie started asking the questions he dreaded. 'Hey Marco...Marco!' She caught up to him and walked alongside him, looking at him awkwardly. 'What happened to you? You're a mess! Are you sure you're Marco Del Rossi, the perfectionist boy who is too perfect, even for a perfectionist?' She chuckled and grinned, but Marco was not the least bit amused. _Ah, why is it that people always gang up on me when I don't want them to? This so sucks..._. 'Ellie, not today. I need some time alone, I'm seriuos this time. It's not something I want to talk about, at all. It's just...no, I'm sorry, not today. Ask me tomorrow or the day after that...in fact, just don't ask me anything at all...I'm sure you'll hear it all today anyway...if not, I'll tell you, eventually.' He strode on, picking up the pace with the intension of losing any unwanted company, which included Ellie at the moment. She didn't bother to go after him, but she wasn't happy about it either, which could clearly be seen on her distraught face.

Marco trod up the minor stair that led to the entrance door, which seemed demonic and evil to Marco at this time. Everything he did not want was on the other side of that door. Attention, expectations, crowdedness...he despised it so very much at this time, and yet he had no choice but to enter._Running will do me no good...I could keep going forever like that..._. Hesitantly he pulled back the door and entered the sound-filled, crowded halls of Degrassi Community School. For a moment, his will wavered, thinking of the solitude and quiet of his own room, but he quickly regained himself. Though he was in pain, he could not let others see it. He was Marco, and he had more in his life than just this one thing (_Though without this, more than half of me will cease to be...)._

To his great relief, most of the day went by quietly. People that usually said a thing or two to him were quiet. In fact, everybody was unusually quiet quiet against him. Normally, he would've raged at Ellie or Paige (_Let's be honest, no other person would tell people not to talk to me for such a thing..._), but today it was rather to his liking. He had the time to sort out his things, to think about how he should handle this, time to review a thing or two without being disturbed. His happiness, however, did not last long. Before too much time had passed, his mind drifted back to Dylan uncontrollably, and grief had quickly overcome him. From the corner of the library, he sobbed and he cried softly, having desperately fleed from the school cafeteria.

After what seemed like a few moments, someone came standing next to him and just stood there, silent, until Marco looked up. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He'd almost begun to say his greetings to paige, but before him stood...'Alex? What in the world are you doing here?' He sniffed once or twice as he stared at her, and she stared back, clearly thinking of what to say. 'Actually, I'm here to see you, you sad, sad little boy...' He was stunned. Not only did she come to talk to him, she actually came to sneer at him ona time like this. 'Look, Alex, this isn't the time for petty insults and idiotic remarks. Go sharpen your fangs somewhere and save it for the final debate this afternoon. I do not have the time, nor the will to talk to you in such a manner right now...' She laughed. Not loud, but loud enough for a few people to look her way before quickly resuming their work. 'Me, bide my time? Sorry, I don't have the patience for that. All I can do now is recall a certain person running aginst me refusing me some minor help when he was asked for it. I do not take kindly to rejection, fag-o del Rossi...not at all. Prepare for your wirst nightmare. I can see why he did this to himself...you _are _pathetic.' With a snigger and a small laugh she walked away from him, and left the library, leaving Marco to feel worse than he had felt all week.

_She's right, I am pathetic...I can't do anything right, I'm too short, too insecure about things...He could've done so much better...why me, why in the world did he pick me? Surely he could have...No, I can't think like this, not now. That's exaclty what she wants me to do...He chose me. Despite all my bad things and all those others being out there, he chose me, meaning he likes me best, and that's what's important. _Feeling slightly better, he left the library and went to his next class, which was starting in a few minutes anyway.

To his surprise the class went by very quickly, which wasn't exactly a good thing. In about ten minutes he would be standing in front of the entire school, convincing them he was the best man for president. He'd been preparing this thing for weeks, maybe even months, and now, at the conclusion of the entire struggle, he had lost all but a little hope and motivation to actually go through with it. Alex would certainly destroy half the school, if not more, with her so-called 'Freedom' and 'brilliant plans'. That being the case, He still couldn't care less. It all seemed so...useless, insignificant compared to what he was facing. This accident had made Marco realize that life isn't as long as one might think, and if you want something done, you should go after it. All he wanted was time with Dylan, as much of it as possible. Being school president didn't exactly grant him the free time required to do that. Half-minded he strolled through the almost empty hallways and headed for the stage where he was needed.

Marco quickly stepped up onto the stage and stood at his designated spot, about five feet away from Alex, who was smiling in an eerie fashion. He thought about what she said in the library, and it was certain she would use some dirty tactics to try and win this thing. _Well, if she wants to humiliate me in some way, fine by me. I don't care, just let it happen quick so I can get out of here. _Mr. Raditch stepped up and grabbed the microphone. 'Dear students, parents, and other guests, welcome to this year's school presidential election. We have two lovely candidates this year and they both have their cases all made up for today's final debate. Please listen carefully to both students and make up your mind, because the time for voting is nearby.'

Marco's eyes widened as he scanned the room. He broke a sweat while hearing the speech of Mr. Raditch. _Oh no...parents. I totally forgot about that. Maybe my dad isn't here...maybe it won't even come up...Oh, what am I thinking, of course it'll come up. That two-tailed dinosaur will use any insult to get me down. Oh god, please don't let him be here, please don't let him be here, please don't..._ The tension in his eyes was released and he sighed. His father was nowhere to be seen. His mother was on the far end of the front row, encouraging him on to win this thing. Try as she might, it didn't help even the least bit in changing his attitude. He was done with it. For all he knew, this thing was over and there was a clear winner.

'Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the candidates, Marco and Alex!' Every single person in the room clapped, and at least half were shouting, whistling or making some other kind of loud noise. First up was Alex. she stepped forward, grabbed the microphone and started rambling about this and that. 'I will represent student freedom! We will choose for ourselves what will happen and what not! Screw the teachers. It's our school, and it should carry our rules!' The majority of the students cheered, though the parents remained dead-silent. Marco grabbed the microphone and started his reprisal. 'With an attitude like that and rules made up by the students, there would be total anarchy. People will not know what they're up against, will, in the long term, have no idea what rules are to be followed and teachers will no longer be able to teach in a statisfying manner. Besides, the school will most likely not be able to support your crazy ideas about what should be here and what shouldn't. Ruling something is not a laughing matter, and should be left to a few individuals, who represent the groups within our school. If you have too many voices, there will only be chaos and anarchy.' This time, every parent clapped, but there were only a few cheers from the students. _Good. It looks like I'm making an effort, but the students don't like me. This is perfect._

He was rudely shoved aside by Alex, who pulled the device out of his hands and started her backfire. 'Oh really, and what would someone like you know about all of this, huh? You're a freak, kiddo, a friggin' freak, and everyone knows freaks are supposed to be in an institution. Do you honestly think that a cure little fag like yourself could run this school? You don't have what it takes. You have enough things to sort out on your own. Or have you already forgotten about the crying and sobbing in the library today? You're a friggin' queen, Marco, without the strength to amount to anything around here!'

The room was awfully quiet. A few people cheered, a few people boo-ed, but the rest was silent. Some even stared blankly at the stage, and he noticed several parents staring at him. Without hesitation he grabbed the microphone again and spoke, his voice trembling from the emotional pain he carried with him. 'You know what, she's right. I am a freak, and I don't have the strength to run this thing. I'm not fit enough to run this school. Go ahead, pick her, I'm dropping out here and now. I...I...I'm sorry.' He dropped the microphone and ran away as fast as he could, avoiding the crowd, who were staring and some even gasping for air. Tears ran down his face and he was desperate for some love. Love that nobody could give him, except the one person who was incapable of doing so.

The next weeks did not go well. The school was slowly plunging into chaos, and although the doctors worked as hard as they could, Dylan had still not woken up. After the night he was supposed to wake up Marco had had a hefty discussion with one of the doctors there, yelling and screaming at him for not trying his very best. His emotional state cleared up slightly, but he still looked terrible, and he felt just about as well as he looked. The school was no pleasant distraction. Rules had been twisted, bent, some even broken and sets of new rules had been introduced. The cafeterua was a mess now that students had all the freedom they could wish for. People were complaining, but it didn't stop and Marco honestly believed that if this were to continue for much longer, the school itself would be forced to close it's doors for a while, so that it could restore order and relieve Alex of her function. But for now, that was not happening, and the entire school was a terrible sight.

On thursday, the phone suddenly rang. _How strange, I'm not expecting any calls._ He picked up in his usual manner and was greeted by a sound like static and a shouting person blurting out several things he didn't understand. He told the person to calm down and then he realized it was Paige on the other end of the line. "Paige, what is it? What are you trying to tell me? Is it about Dylan?" The static-like sound subsided a bit and he could now hear her more clearly. "Yes, Marco, yes! He's woken up, he's woken up! Hurry up, I'm almost at your house. If you're not out in three minutes, I'm leaving without you!" Before he even hung up he jumped off the bed, tidied himself up a bit with a comb and some water, then practically jumped down the stairs and soared through the kitchen, the kitchen door and the front lawn, to find Paige just arriving in her car. "Come on, hop in, be quick about it. I don't want to wait another minute!" He jumped in and they raced of, tires screeching as they blackened the asfalt beneath them.

The both of them burst through the door and saw that it was for real. Dylan had opened his eyes and was sitting upright, talking with a nurse. Warmth and total bliss filled Marco from the inside. He felt like his entire being was turning liquid and warm. He didn't know whether to kiss and hug Paige, Dylan, the nurse, or drop to his knees and thank God for this moment of ultimate bliss. His life would finally return to normal, he could stop worrying, but first and foremost, he would be reunited with his great love again, ready to face the rest of his life with him. Eager as he was, he let Paige get to him first. After all, she was family, and he had no right to interfere with that. She screamed, she laughed, and he had his most charming, most disarming smile at the ready, flashing it at her every few seconds.

After some fifteen minutes, give or take a few, Paige released Dylan from the smothering hug and gave Marco some room to reach him. He rushed up and hugged the unsuspecting Dylan, who did not return the favor. Tears in his eyes, his entire being filled with happiness, he looked at Dylan's face. Something was wrong, because Dylan was not at all happy, and if he was, he certainly did not show it to him. "Dyl, what's wrong? you do remember me, right? I mean, they said you might have taken some brain damage, but it seemed only minor and shouldn't take long to heal...Dyl? Dylan, Yo!" Dylan stared at him with a blank expression, seemingly surprised by this. "I...who the hell are you? Do I know you from somewhere? I mean, you seem familiar, but...I don't think we've really met..." Marco was shocked. _He doesn't remember me...? _"Dylan, come on, it's me, Marco, your boyfriend. You know, the person you've been dating for quite some time now? Don't tell me you can't remember any of it."

Dylan stared at him, then flailed his arms around, breaking free of Marco's embrace. "What? you're a fag? What the hell...Paige, get this queer out of my sight! Are you kidding me, pretending I'm gay and all that? How dare you do such a thing to me while I'm still vulnerable!" Marco staggered back before dropping flatout on the floor. His mind raced, his emotiond were confused, but one thing he did know. Out of the utter bliss he had felt before, there were but three things left in his life at this point: Sadness, Anarchy and Despair.


	7. A Heads Up

Hello dear and faithful readers.

I am so, so, so sorry for leaving you all!  
I hope that you may forgive me in your hearts, in time...

I've had a rough year, rough unlike anything I've been through before and that has cut my time severely. However, most of the storm has passed and steps have been taken to ensure my load will lighten.  
And therefor, I will soon pick up my writing again!

I just hope I can find all those episodes again, and start watching a bit to regain my sense of what's right and who's who. Of course, I haven't forgotten entirely, but a little refresher course might be useful.

Once I've done that, and have read my 6 chapters, I will start on chapter 7 and let the story unfold.  
I promise to make it worth your while.

If people happen to know where I might obtain episodes (especially seasons 3 and 4, and maybe beyond 4, but I haven't seen anything beyond 4 yet.), I would be very grateful. I don't have them on tape or something, unfortunately :(.

Readers are free to send me an email (or more) if they want. I won't be bothered by it as long as it's civil. (as for my adress: Let's just say it's me at good ol' hotmail ;) ).

I'm sorry for not posting an actual chapter now, but I guess this is better than nothing at all...I should've posted this earlier...

Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk...I will get back in the saddle and try my best to come up with something worthy of this story, or maybe even better.

Until then, or until I hear from you, take care.

Love and hugs, Athildur / John. 


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